CD Reviews

One of the most under-appreciated singers of our time.

06/22/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Tracy Nelson is a genius. Her phrasing, her timing, her power, her soul. I would say that her relative lack of fame is a national disgrace, but I suspect Tracy Nelson is just as happy to be going her own way without all the pressures and ridiculousness that goes with pop stardom. All of her records are wonderful, including this one. I really think you --whoever you are --should think about getting them all, one at a time, or in one fell swoop."

From Another Music Fan In Upstate NY

Gregor von Kallahann | 07/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's something of a coincidence that the only other review for this wonderful record is from another Upstater. He (or she) is right on the money, Tracy Nelson is a great singer, and it's a darn shame that all the folks groovin' to Bonnie Raitt or old Janis Joplin recordings haven't caught up with the Divine Miss N.This recording dates back to the mid-70s and was the third solo project she did after ceasing to record with her band, Mother Earth. Of course, there were a few records billed to Tracy Nelson/Mother Earth, so there was a time when she appears to have been "transitioning" to solo.But whether the billing was "Mother Earth." "Tracy Nelson/Mother Earth" or plain old "Tracy Nelson," you can hardly go wrong with any of her recordings. "Time Is On My Side," produced by the legendary Jimmy Bowen, is one of my all time favorites though. The title song,done as a tribute to her early inspiration, Irma Thomas, is a knock-out. It might not make you forget Irma's version (if you know it), but it could make you forget all about the Rolling Stones!Other highlights include "Sudden Change" and "You Just Can't Forget Him, Can You Fool?" (which somebody--Glen Campbell?--released as "Can You Fool") and my favorite, "Couldn't Do Nothin' Right." The beautiful, soulful ballad "Letting The Memory Fade" appears in a alternate take at the end of the CD, which is nice to have, but it's clear that the right version (also included here, of course) was selected for the original '76 release!I loved this record so much that I gave it and another Tracy Nelson release (Poor Man's Paradise) to some friends of mine as a wedding gift. I don't know if it changed their lives or not, but I still say it beats a damn toaster! I found it cosmically fitting that the CD version was released on One-Way Records out of Albany, NY. I'm not a native of that town, but I lived there for 10 years. One of my favorite records re-emerging from one of my favorite locales, seems like poetic justice of a sort. But what isn't just is that this release now seems to be officially out of print. As one of Tracy's early contemporaries, put it "Get it while you can." In other words, Time may NOT be on your side. Order today. You'll thank me tomorrow."